Wideband characterization of vanadium dioxide for millimeter-wave switch applications

Details

Supervisors

Lederer, Dimitri ; Raskin, Jean-Pierre

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil électricien, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enWith the continuous advancements in modern wireless communication systems, RF front-end modules are becoming increasingly complex. In this context, RF switches play a crucial role in enabling reconfigurability and tunability, thereby reducing the need for duplicating entire RF architectures. Conventional RF switches include PIN diodes, MOSFETs, and MEMS. In recent years, a new class of switches based on phase-change materials (PCMs) has emerged as a promising candidate to combine the main advantages of conventional solid-state technologies. Among them, vanadium dioxide (VO2) stands out due to its nanosecond-scale metal–insulator transition near room temperature, which can be triggered by several external stimuli, including thermal excitation and electrical bias. While VO2 has attracted strong research interest, further understanding is still required to fully assess its potential for integration into reconfigurable RF systems. This work explores the challenges associated with the fabrication and RF characterization of VO2-based RF switches. Devices are fabricated on engineered substrates, characterized in both DC and RF, and evaluated across different activation methods to compare performance. Key device parameters, including ON-state resistance and OFF-state capacitance, are extracted from the measurements using equivalent circuit analysis. Additionally, CST simulations are carried out to benchmark measurements.